Every Tear, Every Moment
by Arceus.Conberma
Summary: Mantis's grandfather is in terribly sick and it might probably the last time to see him. However, when Mantis get there, something he needs to accept it a very long time ago. But before it, he found his grandfather's memoir, unravelled the greatest past.
1. Memoir

**I know I haven't finished the rest of the stories, but I made a promise to one of my dearest friend. So if here you go, this is the story that you have always wanted. I don't know if it's what you had in mind, but I'll try my best to make it better. Enjoy!!!

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**Every Tear Every Moment**

**By Arceus. Conberma**

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Memoir

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Another peaceful day for the Valley of Peace, all except one.

Mantis had just received an emergency letter from Zac and Sapphire, his godfather and his wife. Saying that his grandfather Alpha, Leader of Navaho, was in terribly sick and thought that it would be the last trip for him to seeing his beloved grandfather.

Without a thought, he quickly stormed into his room and packed up everything and moved out. While he was packing, his friends came in by asking.

Po spoke first, "Hey, Mantis. What's the rush?" he asked.

"My grandfather is in terrible sick and I need to get back to the village immediately." Mantis replied, without looking at them as he was too busy with packing his stuffs.

"Oh my gosh! I hope he'll be alright." Viper gasped and said worriedly.

"Yea, after all he had done so many things to us." Crane added. (Look at "The Past of Mantis and Sapphire")

After he packed everything, he turned to his friends. "Thanks guys, well I gotta go! See ya!" Mantis said as he quickly disappeared in the hallway.

When Mantis was completely out of their sight, Tigress sensed something. "Strange…"

"What's wrong, Tigress?" Po asked curiously.

"I feel…I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about his grandfather." She said.

"But one thing I do know for sure, is that Leader Alpha is alive as long as there's hope." Monkey said and they all nodded in agree.

* * *

After a day and four hours of flight, not to mention he needed to ride about 45 minutes bus to get to the Navaho villager nearby. Then he ran as quick as possible to get to the Navaho village, and when he got there, he saw his wife, Sapphire, has waiting for him whole night.

"Sapphire!" he shouted.

"Mantis!" Sapphire shouted back a she jumped into her husband's chest and hugged him tightly.

The Praying Mantis embraced her tightly as well, but he needed to break the hug as this was an emergency. "Sapphire, I saw the letter and quickly come to see grandfather. Where is he?" he demanded.

"He's right at the Al'ch Camp, hurry! He gets worse every day." Sapphire desperately told Mantis as he stormed into the Al'ch Camp, Sapphire soon followed him.

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When he approached the camp and flipped the wooden-curtain and saw his godfather, Zac, was beside his grandfather, Alpha. "Mantis! So glad that you mad it!" Zac was as desperate as Sapphire as he ran over him and embraced him.

Mantis broke the hug and kneeled beside Alpha, whose eyes were too weak that he could only open a half, but it was clear enough for him to see his beloved grandson's face. "Mantis? Is that you, my boy?" Alpha weakly asked.

"Yes, grandfather. It's me." Mantis replied with a small grin.

"Zac, would you leave me and Mantis to talk alone a while?" Zac nodded as he left the camp.

"Oh good, grandson. Now that you're here, I want you to do something for me."

"Anything, Grandfather, just name it." Mantis promised.

Finally, Alpha said. **"I want you to be the next Leader of Navaho."**

At first, Mantis's eyes were blankly and eye-widened as he was wondering if he heard him right. Did his grandfather just asked him to be the next leader of the Navaho Insect Village? "Ah…Grandfather, you said what?" he asked again.

"I want you to accept the throne of this village after I'm gone." He answered.

"What!? No, grandfather, you can't. I don't know what to do or even don't know how to become a good leader--" he then interjected by Alpha.

"I know you're ready, I've seen it and I know that you are ready for this task." Alpha said between coughing.

Seeing his beloved grandfather was in danger and they both knew that he didn't have much time left. Mantis's antennas fell down and looked at Alpha again "I…I need to think about it, grandfather. It's just…it all happens so suddenly." He admitted.

"You should…you should…but no matter what you choose,_ I believe you will do the right thing at the end…_" with those words, Alpha fell into a deep sleep.

Mantis helped him to lift up the blanket up forward to his chest to keep him warm. Then he left the camp, antennas still fell and then he saw Zac and Sapphire, who were rushing over him and asking.

"Well?" Zac asked first, nervously.

"Well what?"

"What did Leader said?"

"He said…" Mantis couldn't say it out.

""He said" what?" Sapphire asked, totally frustrated.

"He said he wanted me to be the next Leader of this village." He confessed.

Zac was surprised, "Well, that's good news." Mantis hung his head up. "Now you can take over your family's business."

"No, Zac, I can't."

"What?" Sapphire was confused.

And so did Zac, "What do you mean "I can't"?"

"I don't know what to d and how o be a good leader and not to mention I had left this place for over 20 years, how am I suppose to back in _Leader-shape_?" Mantis asked, frustrated and then he left them behind and walked alone to somewhere else around the village.

Sapphire stared at her husband a moment, and then Zac placed his claws on her shoulder and hoped everything will getting well soon.

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Mantis was planning go to the River of Flows, where he spent most of his childhood there. But then he caught a glimpse at a campsite, his grandfather's camp. He stood and stared at it a while, and unwarily walked into it.

Inside, he could sense and smelled of his old leader's presence and his things were untouched. However, he then caught another glimpse of an object, an old thick wooden-paper book, _a memoir_. Curious, Mantis opened it and unravelled the secret of the past before he was born, and the story of his grander, and his father and mother, Kasco and Marian.

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_**To be continued…**_


	2. Father and Son

**I know maybe some of you, especially A. U, have been looking forward for this chapter, but believe me, no matter what your review is, don't flames on me! ENJOY & REIEW!!

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**Mantis's Previous Past**

**By Arceus. Conberma**

_**Chapter 2:**_

_**Father and Son

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It was a glorious day and yet the most tragic day of my life. My son was born, but I had lost my beloved wife.

I grasped my wife's body and held it close to me, and cried above her forehead. Then I heard my son's crying, I took a glimpse at him and found out that he was so muck alike his mother.

My wife and I were both unicorn-beetle, however, every female unicorn-beetle will die once they gave birth to their children, it was a circle of life. I slowly approached my son, and compared with his mother.

I chuckled slightly, they had my eyes and his mother's elegant body. I tucked my son on my chest, and gave him a name.

"Kasco." It means 'Kind-hearted' in Indian, like his mother.

The little chibi seemed to like the name as he chuckled. I then called my advisor to arrange a funeral for my wife and announced the new born prince of Navaho.

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Mantis soon suddenly interrupted by Sapphire, who was entering in the camp. "Mantis, what are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Uh…nothing." He sheepishly, then his wife gave him a frown in a serious look. Finally, he admitted, "I was studying grandfather's memoir, there, are you happy?"

"Leader's memoir?" Sapphire asked herself.

"This memoir recorded not only his life, but the story of my parents. I know it is rude to read his personal thing without his permission. But I know nothing about my parents and not very well about grandfather, I want an answer!" Mantis explained.

Sapphire stared at Mantis in surprised, she never saw him so wanted to know more truth. She spoke, "I understand. And I'm sure he'll understand too."

Then the butterfly gave a kiss on his cheeks, "Thanks, Sapphire." Mantis replied with the way of his wife just did and continued to read.

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Every day and every year, I had been guarding and protecting the village and Kasco at the same time, it was hard for me at first. But I knew the spirits and my wife would guide me.

Kasco had been becoming more and more like me, so brave, acted such a heroic and so impatient… (Mantis cracked a chuckle). Even though I was a leader, it made no differences but being seen as a normal bug, except when it was necessary. Sometimes, I could see that Kasco was being bullied by other insects.

There was once a time when he was seven, he almost beat up five insects because of they bullied the younger ones, and he stood up and fought against them, which it caused his teacher to punish him and the bullies, and not to mention I was called to be there.

When I got there, I saw my son's face was bruised as his right eye was in purple-black, and some stitches on his chest and arms. I was surprised that he didn't lay a tear out of his face, instead he gave a strong spirit in his eyes to me, like he had done nothing wrong.

I knelt in front of him and then I noticed the parents of the bullies came in. They were Dragonflies, Moth, Scissors-beetle, cockroach and grasshopper, one of the strongest species in insect existence. I couldn't help but let out a grin when I saw the painful and bruised faces of the bullies, Kasco had done it so far.

Then, I saw the ladybug teacher came out. She bowed at me as a respect for a leader, she then said. "As I call you parents here for one simple reason. First of all, Kasco." She turned at my son, and went on. "The only thing I saw is you were fighting and punching Liko, Manic, Pretro, Jes and Ikia so hard."

"I can explain!" Kasco started to defend.

"You're such a dumb!" the little grasshopper, whose name was Jes interjected, gave Kasco more nerve.

"You're the one who started the fight!" Kasco suddenly shouted, as he wanted to give Jes another knuckle sandwich. I pulled him back to tell him to control his temper.

"Alright! You two, both of you, shut up!" the teacher declared as the two were silence. The ladybug sighed and started again, "Now, Kasco. You need to apologize if you started the fight."

"But I didn't start it, they DID!" Kasco kept defending himself.

I didn't know what kind of word for him; stubborn.

"Get lost!!" Liko the Dragonfly cried, hiding himself behind his mother's back.

The father of Jes stepped up and claimed, "My son would never do such a thing of bullying. He's such a good boy." He spoke confidently.

I snorted secretly, I'd bet that he had spoiled his son as I could a smirk under the young grasshopper's face. Before I wanted to argue with that irritated grasshopper father, another young insect interrupted the atmosphere. I took a clear on the young one, he was younger than Kasco and a tiger-spider.

He seemed to be shy by the serious environment, then Kasco cried, "Za!? What are you doing here?"

The spider who called Za spoke, "I'm here to declare that it wasn't your fault." He claimed as he walked up to the teacher.

He then bowed deeply at her, "Miss Taylor, it wasn't Kasco's fault. I can tell!" he declared.

"Now, teacher, you wouldn't expect this kid's words are trusted?" the father of Jes teased.

"I'd say let this young man speaks." I snapped back.

"Father…" I could hear Kasco's muttered.

"Very well then," Miss Taylor agreed. "Za, tell us what you saw." She demanded.

Za nodded as he began explained, "Today was my first day at school, well, not very much students like me except Kasco. He befriended with me soon, I thought I called this for a day. But when we were having a break…" suddenly he paused, afraid.

Then I placed my paws on his shoulder to give him a comfort, "Go ahead, say it, son." I said.

The young tiger-spider nodded again as he continued, "Jes and his friends came over to us and snatched my lunch. I wanted it back in a polite way, but they still didn't give it back. And not only that, they started bully at me by beating."

The parents of the bullies glared at them, as they felt ashamed. Then he went on, "Kasco was angry and started to fight them back for me and told me to step aside and left everything for him. I did as I hid behind a rock and watched him one against five, and I just hiding myself being a coward!" His eyes were watered as he started to cry.

Now they had finally known the truth and the teacher sent an eye contact on the parents of the bullies. "Thank you, Za. It is such a bravely act to stand up and tell us the truth. You have proved that you're not a coward." She said with a smile.

She continued, "Now, bullying is not allowed in this village. So I hope that you'll give a report of what you've done, and as for Kasco, even though you fought for justice, but you need to give me a report as well." She ordered and they all nodded.

"We Indian are a team! We must not fight to each other. Friends are family and family need each other by their side." I confirmed, in leader-act.

Everyone nodded at the me the leader one, Kasco stared at me widely, I heard Za whispered at Kasco secretly. "If I must say, you have the coolest father in the world." Za whispered.

Kasco said nothing at first but when he looked up at me and said with a wide smile, "I know."

And by that moment I knew that he might try to do his best to make me proud as he always to practice his training of the traditional karate fight for Indians. But he shouldn't have to do that, because he had already done that, and when the time comes, I will tell him. "Everyday."

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Tears started fall on Mantis' cheeks, he knew that his parents died before Grandfather, and he didn't and couldn't tell him how much he loved him. The praying mantis quickly hid his face away from his wife and wiped them.

Although Sapphire knew her husband wanted to be tough in front of anyone, but she could see it though. She walked beside and gently hugged him. Then she softly spoke, "I'm so sorry." She then grabbed the memoir from Mantis, "Here, you have read enough of this, we'll continue this tomorrow." She said.

Mantis was hesitated a bit, but he had a rough day already. He nodded and brought the memoir with him, and decided to go back to bed, waiting to read the next part.

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_**To be continued…**_


End file.
